Title or working title of the regulatory initiative:

Description of the objective:

Pursuant to the Territorial Lands Act, under the Territorial Quarrying Regulations a quarry permit is currently issued for up to one year. Quarries used over multiple years require annual applications for permits from proponents, which duplicates administrative effort and creates uncertainties.

The proposed amendments to the Territorial Quarrying Regulations are administrative in nature and will improve the northern regulatory environment and the management of quarrying operations. By changing the length of the permit term from one year to a maximum of three years, the administrative burden will be reduced, removing the need to re-apply every year for the same operation area. This will allow the Land Administrator to manage ongoing operations without having to grant exclusive rights to an area through a quarrying lease. Some small administrative changes are also being considered to address inconsistencies with the Territorial Lands Act.

Indication of business impacts:

There may be business impacts. The "One-for-One" Rule and/or the Small Business Lens may apply. The proposed Regulations Amending the Territorial Quarrying Regulations will provide administrative burden relief for business under the One-for-One Rule. By changing the length of a permit term from one year to a maximum of three years, the administrative burden on proponents (which often are small operators) will be reduced, removing the need to re-apply every year for the same operation area.

Public consultation opportunities:

The proposed amendments to the Territorial Quarrying Regulations were distributed for comments to Aboriginal organizations in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, various federal government departments and agencies, regulatory review boards in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, environmental and special interest groups and industry associations. In addition, the proposed Regulations Amending the Territorial Quarrying Regulations were pre-published, from May 24 to June 22, 2014, in Part I of the Canada Gazette for a public notice and comment.